Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

laurar4765

I have successfully claimed my council tax back from my local council after appealing my banding. I have gone from a band B to a band A, after doing some research and finding out that my mother in law who lives 40 doors away in the same street, was a band lower than me! Even though I live in Wales (Caerphilly County) and can only go back to 2005, I have received £205 back from previous years and am paying £12 less a month (which doesn't seem an awful lot) but I am glad I triumphed over the council for something which I hate paying (as it is such a waste of money- just to have your bins emptyed- which is the only place where I see MY council tax going). It is deffinately worth looking into (even in Wales) and I'm sure my council are seething with the fact that they have to repay the likes of me, money back for this. Never mind looks like when they build their new "Multi Million pound" council offices they may have to settle with they're old desks (Caerphilly Borough residents will know what I mean) RESULT!!!!!!!!

missmilly

Local Borough Council: Boston
Council Tax Band Before: D
Council Tax Band After: C
Amount refunded: £843.99
Annual saving going forward: £143.50


This is my very first posting, and I am pleased to report a success story!

I discovered that my neighbour's house, which is identical to mine, was Band C, so in March I wrote to my local council asking them to review the banding of my house which was Band D. I received a letter very quickly advising me that it would take approximately 2 months and a possible visit to review the situation. Just 5 weeks later I received another letter saying my house had been rebanded to Band C and this would be effective from 1993. The very next day I received a letter from the finance department asking if I would prefer a credit or a refund, I opted for a refund naturally.

I have just returned from a week in France to find a big fat cheque waiting for me in the amount of £843.99, I have been refunded all overpayments since I moved here in 1999 :T

Thank you everyone, this one was easy, not so with the endowments though :mad:

Missmilly

charliebrown_2

Local Borough Council: Doncaster
Council Tax Band Before: B
Council Tax Band After: A
Amount refunded: £1125
Future Saving : £15 a month (£150 a year)
Many thanks to everyone involved in this site. Had no problems with this refund, rang Sheffield valuation office and spoke to a man who used to live in the same village as me! A few weeks later received a letter confirming the change of my banding.Easy peasy.
Doncaster council did try to keep £815 to pay for this years council tax but after a pleasant phone call they agreed to send the lot to me.

DaveK

Local Borough Council: Vale of the White Horse
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: E

Just thought I'd better post this hear as it was an utter failure and ended in 2 of my neighbours having their council tax increased!!!!!
8 houses built in 1991 all identical (built from same plans), all with no extentions or modifications (except a few conservatories), 2 houses at band D the rest (including mine) at band E. Got the inspector to come round and measure up my house, one month later I got a letter explaining that my neighbours were in the wrong band and therefore they would be changed but not me.

Obviously this all helps for good neighbourhood relations!!!!!!!!!!!!

poorperson

DaveK wrote: »

Local Borough Council: Vale of the White Horse
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: E

Just thought I'd better post this hear as it was an utter failure and ended in 2 of my neighbours having their council tax increased!!!!!
8 houses built in 1991 all identical (built from same plans), all with no extentions or modifications (except a few conservatories), 2 houses at band D the rest (including mine) at band E. Got the inspector to come round and measure up my house, one month later I got a letter explaining that my neighbours were in the wrong band and therefore they would be changed but not me.

Obviously this all helps for good neighbourhood relations!!!!!!!!!!!!

And you post this on the success thread?

Hawkerhousehold

I received a phone call yesterday from the Valuation Office in my county, telling me that they were prepared to move us down a Band and to refund all our charges paid at the higher rate. What a result!!
Followed the instructions on the web-site to the letter and cannot believe we have managed to change our banding, after 3 years.

Council Tax District - South Somerset District Council
Council Tax Banding - Band E
New Council Tax Banding - Band D
Refund Amount - £1122
Saving each month - £32

The valuation agency chap did say that the most valuable point in my appeal, was that I stated that when we bought our house, we actually paid the same amount as our neighbours, although our house was marketed by the developers for more, as the site appeared more favourable. This can all be proved through the land registry site. Our house was on a new development, which meant they took the full 2 months to investigate the appeal, stating they had no comparable properties in 1990 (original council tax valuation) to check against.

We have also won back our closing admin fee from C & G, when we moved house 3 years ago, thanks to this site. Phoned customer services, gave them the date we closed our old mortgage and they calculated the refund there and then. The only major claim we have left to go, following instructions on this web-site, is claim against Lloyds TSB for bank charges, which I am waiting for a court date for....fingers crossed!!

julie.julie_2

Local Borough Council: Swale Council, Kent
Council Tax Band Before: C
Council Tax Band After: B
Amount refunded: £720

My neighbour who saw yr TV item and contested his banding mentioned it to me. Out of 7 identical cottages, 3 were C and 4 were B. I sent a letter using exactly the words suggested on this site and had a phone call pretty much straight away rebanding me down. The Council tried to fob me off with £36 refund on this years payments, but one polite letter specifing exactly how much they had overcharged me each year since 1998 and the money was straight into my bank account. Thanks Martin!

Bollards

Local Borough Council: Teignbridge
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £493
Annual saving going forward: Approximately £300 per year

I made the original phonecall in January and due to a backlog of people doing the same it took until May for us to receive a response. Just over a month later the council got in touch and advised us of our refund (which is for nearly 2 years overpayment) and the ongoing alteration to our monthly direct debits.

Result!

DaveK

poorperson wrote: »

And you post this on the success thread?

I followed the "report your success and failures here" link at the bottom of the article.

Anyway I think people should be aware that it's not always successful.

203ivy

Southlakeland District Council
Previous Band G
New Band F
Rebate approx £900
Annual Saving £310

Thanks again to this fantastic site :beer: - after cecking and challanging my Council Tax Band and initally refused on the grounds that we were over the Six month time limit, we got a Tribunal date and I was all geared up and armed with my evidence and two days prior the tribunal date got a call from the VOA and was told they could look into a Banding "amendment" so I postponed the Tribunal date (by mutual agreement to give the VOA time to look into things ) and 3 days later got the later with the New Band which was one band lower!!! :T Martin and the team a ACE !!!!